We received an email yesterday about EMEA users possibly having 2-way Gmail sync upgrades, and reading around the blogs it seems miBlackBerry are reporting this as well. The comments and forum posts have been a little confused about the situation, as some users think they have it, while others don’t. I thought I would put it out to any EMEA readers and see if they noticed the 2-way Gmail sync. The original tip came from Vodafone Spain.

Some big news this week included pictures of the BlackBerry Slider, some BIS 3.0 details as well as more pictures of the upcoming Pearl 9100. The Slider is shaping up to be an interesting form factor from RIM, but it could be a headache for developers. This means that the device will launch with limited software available, and I can only imagine how bare a Slider’s App World will look at launch. This is standard practice from RIM as it took developers a few months to catch up after the Storm launched.

BIS 3.0 was supposed to bring 2-way Gmail sync and now it’s not clear whether this is actually going to happen. We’ll have to wait until the service launches in North America, but it Gmail sync may not come until BIS 3.1.

Other than the above, we have a ton of posts regarding cool software you should check out. Some of my favorite apps including Visible Vote (I’m Canadian but I just like the concept), Opera Mini and LaterDude Pro, have all been updated this week. Also be sure to check out the “Other” section of this week’s roundup as we have some good editorial content you won’t find anywhere else.Apps

We’ve already found winners for BugMe Notes, Slacker and VersaTool (announcement post coming). Most of the winners have been contacted but you should check your spam inbox just in case the email was missed. We have more contests including:

There is a lot going around about the recent announcement of BIS 3.0 and some confusion about whether it will include a Gmail 2-way sync. The first users to get the update were in South-East Asia, with EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) following. Users in these regions have been reporting a lack of Gmail sync leaving North American users wondering if it’s going to happen. The official announcement on the support forums recognizes the existence of Gmail sync via an updated plugin, but this doesn’t seem to be available. The RIM knowledgebase mentions the Gmail plugin, but fails to acknowledge the sync features. This could just be a blunder on the part of whoever wrote the article. Overall, it seems we’re going to see the plugin, but perhaps not until version 3.1. We’ll have to wait for the 3.0 upgrade and see.Another addition to BIS 3.0 includes a carrier portal. The carrier portal tool is a new BlackBerry email admin tool designed to meet the requests solicited from wireless service providers regarding the BIS. Some of the features include:

A completely new user interface providing clearer, easier access to information and functions within the tool.

The introduction of ‘Groups’ for managing support staff who utilize the system.

Enhanced permissions capabilities for administrators to more easily define which features should be available to their support staff users.

Link to BlackBerry Technical Solutions Center (BTSC).

Expanded Browser support

Additional subscriber search options.

This isn’t of any real value to the end user, and for now we’re going to stay focused on whether Gmail sync is coming. Let’s hope it’s on the way and the reports we’re seeing don’t apply to North America (not that EMEA and SE Asian users don’t matter).

Using some of the finer functions and features of Gmail are about to improve. The soon to be implemented Two-way syncing will mean you can edit labels, and more from your desktop, with the changes reflected on your BlackBerry. At present this sort of syncing only works from device to desktop. This two-way feature will mean better mail management with fewer steps no matter where you’re making changes from.